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PM Canto: All three of you have traveled far, not so far, and pretty not far at all to Howard Hughes' airfield, where you find yourselves sitting in a classy looking waiting room with a pretty secretary. Contrary to all stereotypes of 1930s and 40s secretaries, she's actually working on some filing and not just filing her nails and chewing gum. PM Canto: Youre all in the waiting room at the same time, the secretary having told you that Hughes' previous meeting has run long. She has offered you all tea or coffee and there are selection of newspapers from around the world on the coffee table. PM Canto: The phenomenon that started this whole mess is still being discussed, with all manner of pseudo-scientific explanations that the general public seems happy to accept. PM Canto: Now you can describe yourselves to each other. PM Josie: Josie took tea and thanked her graciously. Josie is a very pretty woman of average height, with pale skin and dark brown eyes. She's wearing a fire engine red suit of excellent quality cut to the latest style, and matching shoes which are nonetheless flats. Her hair has been assiduously curled, she's probably a little younger than 30 and she's frowning a little bit, too. PM Hank: Hank is a fairly tall man in his mid-30s. He has tanned skin, dark hair and eyes, and is holding a newsboy cap in his hands. He's wearing a suit that looks a couple years out of fashion with very shiny black shoes. He has a wooden cane with him, but doesn't seem to be using it. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke is a young lady with long, wavy red hair, grey eyes, and fair, freckly skin. She ts tightly clutching a small satchel which you may infer contains all her worldly posessions, except the clothes she is wearing. Her nose itches. She scratches it. PM Josie: Josie smiles politely at the secretary. PM Josie: Excuse me, I have an appointment with Mr. Hughes. PM Canto: Secretary: Yes, miss. I'm sorry his meeting is running late, and I know he is as well. He considered his meeting with the three of you to be very important. PM Josie: The three of us. I see. PM Hank: Hank sort of fidgets with his cap. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke is quite bored, and picks up a newspaper. PM Josie: Josie eyes the others. PM Hank: Hank looks around the office at any wall hangings or other interesting things. PM Canto: There are some landscape paintings and pictures of airplanes. PM Ella Burke: *if anyone is actually looking at her, she is holding the newspaper upside-down, and has it sort of propped up so she doesn't have to hold it. PM Josie: ... so. PM Ella Burke: *she doesn't seem to be reading, or even pretending to read, either. PM Hank: Hank stands in front of an airplane picture and examines it. PM Canto: The door to Hughes office opens, and a man sticks his head out. Not Hughes. He's of indeterminate age, with very very pale, close-cropped blonde hair and very grey eyes. He looks at the three of you. "Just three? Damn. Okay. Come on in." PM Canto: He has a very strong British accent. PM Josie: There were more? PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke gently re-folds the paper and sets it back where it was. PM Canto: He opens the door all the way. He's wearing a very well tailored suit done all in white. "We augured and sent out invites to ten potentials in total. Guess the others got to them first. Right. Come on in, Howard wants to meet you." PM Hank: Hank will wait for the other two to enter, then follow. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke grins, gets up, and walks into the office. PM Josie: Josie goes second, nodding. PM Canto: You find yourself in a large office with a bay of windows overlooking an airplane hangar. Hughes himself is sitting behind a large desk, going through some papers in manila folders. There's plenty of places to sit. He stands as you guys enter, though, walking around his desk to meet you. PM Josie: Josie smiles and holds her hand out to him to shake! PM Canto: He takes Josie's hand. "Hello, Howard Hughes. A pleasure to meet you..." PM Josie: Dr. Black. Josie Black. PM Josie: Josie smiles at him a little bit more. PM Canto: He smiles. "Ah. Doctor Black, of course." PM Josie: And I'm so interested to meet you, Mr. Hughes. PM Canto: Howard turns to Hank, offering a hand. "You would be Henry Stevenson, then." PM Hank: Hank has a kind of goofy grin but shakes his hand firmly. "Yes, sir. It's an honor." PM Canto: He grins at Hank and gives him a friendly pat on the arm as he shakes hand, then releases it, then turns to Ella. "And by process of elimination, you would be Miss Burke." PM Ella Burke: Yep. PM Canto: The man in white has taken a seat and is watching the three of you. PM Canto: Howard holds a hand out to Ella. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke also shakes his hand, grinning toothily. PM Canto: Hughes: Now first of all, thank you for coming. Second of all: It's Howard, I insist. PM Josie: Josie smiles at the guy in white. PM Josie: And your associate? PM Canto: He nods politely at Josie. "Quentin. Caspar Quentin. You didn't tell me that only three responded, Howard." PM Ella Burke: Well, did you ask? PM Canto: Howard smiles at the three of you. "Please, please sit down. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Something a bit stronger? It's after noon, at this point." PM Canto: Howard looks at Caspar. "Must have slipped my mind. I'm a busy man, Cas." PM Hank: Hank takes one of the seats. PM Josie: Tea would be fine. PM Josie: Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Quentin. PM Ella Burke: Nah, I'm good. Thanks for asking, though. PM Canto: Caspar nods. "You too, Dr. Black. Nice to put a face to the name." PM Canto: Hughes intercoms his secretary to bring in the tea. He looks at Hank. "How bout you, Hank? What can I get you?" He goes over to the cabinet behind his desk and starts pouring himself some whisky. PM Hank: Hank clears his throat. "Nothing, sir. Thank you." PM Canto: Hughes: Howard. PM Canto: He opens a small metal container, finding it empty, and frowns. "Damn." He looks over at Caspar. "You mind? I try not to drink it straight this early in the day." PM Josie: I'm still on East Coast time. PM Canto: Caspar rolls his eyes and takes the glass from Hughes. He holds a finger above the glass, and a cube of ice forms there, right in mid air, before dropping into the glass. He produces a couple more before passing it back. "Howard, I'm not a damn dispenser." PM Josie: ... interesting. And useful. PM Canto: Hughes grins at Caspar. "And yet now I have ice in my drink." PM Josie: You *are* one of the richest men in the world, Mr. Hughes. You could probably order someone or other to fetch them for you. PM Canto: Hughes: But it wouldn't be cold so fast. PM Josie: Josie smiles. PM Canto: He sits down behind his desk. "Now. Down to brass tacks. You're all three of you gifted. Like Caspar here." PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke holds out her hand. There is a tiny humanoid with exaggerated, chibi-like features standing upon it. It nods. PM Canto: Caspar raises an eyebrow. "Shadowcasting? Interesting. PM Josie: It's made of shadows? PM Hank: Hank slowly shifts to the other side of his chair, away from Ella, as inconspicuously as possible. PM Ella Burke: Indeed it is! I think PM Josie: Josie smiles. PM Josie: Clever. PM Ella Burke: Nothing solid yet, unfortunately. Or perhaps fortunately. PM Josie: And you, Mr. Stevenson? PM Hank: Hank looks uncomfortable as he speaks. "Sometimes metal bends, ma'am." PM Josie: ... can you control it? PM Hank: I haven't really tried. It's all very new to me. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Canto: Caspar: First of all, to affirm what you probably all suspect: Magic is real. Monsters and demons and vampires and werewolves are real. PM Josie: I was approached by the Order of St. George. PM Ella Burke: I am *unable* to say which group contacted me. PM Ella Burke: Unless that guy was lying about the limiter. PM Josie: ... not that one, then. Interesting. PM Ella Burke: But I was not contacted by magicians, demons, or werewolves. PM Canto: Caspar nods. "Yes, we expected that you would have been contacted by others. The Order of St. George is a sect of zealots. Very good at killing things, though. They're sworn to destroy that which is evil and supernatural. Which translates to everything that is supernatural and not in their order or a prospective recruit." PM Josie: ... that leaves vampires. PM Canto: Caspar looks at Ella. "Vampires. Yeah, sounds right. They do stuff like that, post hypnotic commands and the like to hide themselves." PM Canto: Caspar: Of course there are many vampire families. Could have been any of them. PM Canto: Caspar looks at Hank expectantly. "How about you, Mr. Stevenson?" PM Hank: Leviathan, sir. PM Canto: Caspar: Leviathan. We don't really know a lot about them. We suspect they might have ties to a non-human race native to Earth's oceans. PM Josie: I indicated to the Order I was interested, but that was before I found out they no longer have papal sanction. PM Canto: Caspar: Probably wise. We don't know what initiation entails, but by all our scattered accounts, you're no longer yourself at the other end of it. PM Josie: ... also, I think I like clothes a bit too much to make a good nun. PM Ella Burke: Oh, and some chaps in longcoats and wide-brimmed hats were looking for me. Couldn't quite see their faces. Neerg. PM Canto: Caspar nods. "Could be Leviathan again. Their agents can't really pass for human without disguises." PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Canto: Caspar: The secret world is very factionalized. Sometimes our aims coincide, some times they don't. I am an agent of the Council of Sicily, which is less of a faction and more of a coalition of several aligned factions. We currently are in partnership with Mr. Hughes here. PM Josie: The Order, Leviathan or a group of vampires involved in the Council? PM Canto: Caspar: No. Well, yes, there is a vampire family on the Council, the Fortunadas. PM Canto: Caspar: I don't know who contacted Miss Burke. And she can't tell us because of the command. PM Josie: ... what *exactly* was the command? Did it involve speech? PM Canto: Caspar looks at Ella. PM Ella Burke: He said I'd find myself unable to tell anyone I had met with x, or that x exist. PM Josie: I might be able to help. PM Josie: To *tell* them. PM Josie: ... I might be able to help. PM Ella Burke: Oh? How so? A pen and paper? PM Ella Burke: Or are you going to help me find more loopholes? PM Josie: No, I want to read your mind. If you can envision him, and envision him saying *exactly* the name of the group I can probably read his lips. Or at least see who it was. PM Canto: Caspar: Ah, you're a telepath, then. PM Hank: Hank looks even more uncomfortable. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Ella Burke: He didn't mention which family he came from, but I'll throw up a mental image if you want. PM Canto: Caspar: That could work. If you can get a mental image of the agent in question, and give it to me, I can see if I know him. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Josie: ... try to *let* me in. And concentrate on the image as best you can. PM Ella Burke: Just don't poke around in there, especially if you find anything about the lemon pie incident. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke closes her eyes. PM Josie: I won't. ... though now I'm curious. PM Josie: Josie concentrates on Ella. PM Canto: It's actually easy enough to get an image of the man in question, a handsome, pale, impeccably dressed young looking man of Eastern European descent named Cristoff. PM Josie: ((Easy for her or easy for me?)) PM Canto: ((Both of you. She just pictures the guy, since there's nothing preventing it, and you're easily able to pull that image, since it's on the tip of her brain.)) PM Josie: Josie transfers the image to Caspar. PM Josie: Josie closes her eyes as she does. "He's rather pretty." PM Canto: Caspar seems experienced in this kind of mind-to-mind communication and takes it easily. "I don't recognize him, but I'll pass it on and see if we can't figure out what family he belongs to." PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Josie: Josie opens her eyes again. PM Canto: Caspar: Now. We don't know what that was in the sky that night. The 'phenomenon'. But something like this has happened before -- there is some celestial event that causes those with powers to have those powers flare up in a very conspicuous way. PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke opens one eye, and then the other. PM Canto: Caspar: The last event happened five hundred years or so ago, and manifested as a night when the stars seemed to go out. PM Canto: Caspar: Powers flare up, and those who didn't know they had powers suddenly manifest them, which I suspect is the case with our Mr. Stevenson here. PM Hank: Hank is listening. Also tapping his cane against his leg. PM Josie: I'm not sure mine... flared. PM Canto: Caspar: Were you suddenly able to do something or perceive something that you hadn't been able to before? PM Josie: Ghosts. But that's not telepathy. PM Canto: Caspar: Your senses heightened. Your potential is not limited to telepathy. PM Canto: Caspar: These flareups are essentially the secret, magical world poking its head into the mundane world. Things get stranger after such a manifestation. Ghosts get louder. The dead rise from their graves. Long dormant magical items reawaken. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Canto: Caspar: The Council employs groups of empowered agents to investigate, study, and retrieve such phenomena. Most of our strength is in Europe, though. PM Canto: Hughes: That's where I come in. I have had a profitable relationship with the Council. I'm funding several of these groups of agents so they can operate on this side of the pond. PM Canto: Hughes: I'm offering you all a job. PM Canto: Hughes: It pays five hundred dollars a week. I will provide you with a place to live, and full medical coverage for any injuries you receive, on the job or off. PM Hank: Hank chokes a little. PM Canto: Caspar: You will have access to Council resources. Books, training, equipment. PM Canto: Caspar: Do you want to learn how to cast magic spells? It is within your power. All of you. PM Josie: ... five hundred a *week*? PM Josie: ... excuse me, I thought you said that. PM Canto: Hughes nods. "Yes." PM Ella Burke: Does it include at least partial protection from fish-people, x, and zealots, among other assorted malevolences? PM Josie: ... what *is* the catch, Mr. Hughes? PM Canto: Hughes: It won't be a safe job. THere will be danger. We will protect you as much as possible, but most of your protection in the field will come from yourselves. And each other. PM Canto: Caspar: Our agents always work in groups of three or more. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Josie: ... I accept. PM Canto: Caspar: "As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack." PM Hank: What makes you different from Leviathan, for instance, sir? PM Canto: Hughes: I don't know. I don't truck with aquatic demons from the Lost City, though, as we're pretty sure they do. PM Canto: Hughes: I'm human. You're human. Well, maybe slightly more than human. But I'll never ask you to become anything less. PM Hank: Well, sir, it's a generous offer. I'd be stupid to pass it up. My family could sure use it. But seems they've already tried to purchase my compliance. PM Canto: Caspar: ...what? How? PM Josie: ... I'm guessing Mr. Hughes has quite a bit more money. PM Hank: .....my leg, sir. I lost it in China few months back. Woke up a couple days after meeting the agent, and it was whole again. PM Canto: Caspar: Let me see it. PM Hank: Hank glances at the two ladies and looks a little uncomfortable, but pulls his right pant leg up. PM Hank: Hank points at a spot just below the knee. "This is where it was cut, sir." PM Josie: ... I suppose the implication is that they can take it back, too. PM Canto: The new leg has very pale, almost clammy skin. PM Canto: Caspar: Yes. I expect that that it won't stick around the longer you refuse their offfer. PM Josie: ... can one of your people do something similar? PM Canto: Caspar: Regenerating limbs? Yes. But it takes time. PM Canto: Caspar: This one... I suspect that its similarity to a human leg is only skin deep. PM Josie: ... what is it? PM Canto: Caspar: something reptilian, or amphibian. PM Josie: ... I think I wouldn't want that attached to me. But that's one woman's opinion. PM Canto: Caspar: Human bodies are not built to regenerate limbs. PM Ella Burke: Is it a horrible fishy parasite? PM Hank: Hank sighs. "Like I said, sir, I'd be stupid not to accept. I just thought it might have some bearing." PM Canto: Caspar nods. "Right. They were probably trying to entice you with their signing bonus." PM Hank: They also bought out my shop and gave me a promotion, sir. PM Canto: Caspar: Hmm. PM Canto: Hughes: How about you, Miss Burke? PM Hank: Hank rolls his pants leg back down. PM Hank: ...and beg your pardon for saying so, ma'am, but I wager you've never lost a leg. PM Ella Burke: Well, it beats sitting in a stuffy tent wearing an itchy wig and gloppy makeup. You've hired yourself a medium! PM Canto: Hughes: Excellent. I'll draft up the paperwork. You'll all officially have other jobs for the mundane paperwork. PM Josie: No, but I've never been attached to a lizardleg either. And that's Dr. Black. PM Canto: Hughes: And I'm not sending you out into the field right away. We'll get you some training and time to get settled here in LA. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Ella Burke: Oh, I almost forgot. Does this look familiar at all? PM Ella Burke: Ella Burke recreates the shapes her shadows took before she shooed the kiddies out of her tent. PM Canto: Caspar studies the image. "I can't say it does, I'm afraid. What is it?" PM Ella Burke: At best, I lost control of my shadows for a bit. At worst, I'm an oracle, too. PM Canto: Hughes: Dr. Black, I'll make some calls, and get you officially transferred to the library at Caltech. Hank, you'll officially be a mechanic on premises. Miss Burke, you'll be on record as one of my personal assistants. PM Josie: Josie nods. PM Josie: Thank you. PM Ella Burke: Ok then. PM Josie: Oracle... We'd need a cave and drugs for that. I wouldn't recommend it. PM Hank: Hank frowns slightly. PM Canto: Caspar: It's true. Most oracles don't want to be oracles. PM Ella Burke: If I'm predicting stuff like this, I certainly don't. PM Canto: Hughes: I've taken the liberty of arrange hotel rooms for all of you. Caspar will take you there, and answer any of the many questions I'm sure you all have. PM Hank: Thank you, sir.